The words echoed in his head. He heard that Remus had said something but the meaning of those words couldn't be fathomed. Sirius' heart was pounding away in his chest, praying that what Remus was saying to him wasn't true.

"What did you say?"

"J-James and L-Lily. They're dead, Sirius. I w-went to their house today t-to f-find you. T-to ap-pologize to you for b-being s-such a t-tit. A-and the h-house was d-destroyed and I f-found James and L-Lily and I c-couldn't f-find H-Harry and I d-didn't k-know what to d-do." Tears came afresh in Remus' eyes as Sirius tried to process what he was saying. They're dead? No. No, it couldn't be. He'd just seen the sod last night. His eyes fixed on the man before him, openly sobbing and trembling with grief.

He was telling the truth.

In a move quick as lightning, Sirius grabbed Remus by the shoulders and pulled him in close.

"Who did this, Remus? Who did it?" Shaking his head, the sandy haired man tried to speak through his tears.

"I d-don't know, S-Sirius. T-the h-house w-was destroyed. I w-wasn't t-there when i-it h-happened."

"We all know it was Voldemort. He's the reason they were hiding in the first place. How did he find them? Who told him where they were?" Remus looked at Sirius, half crazed and looking for blood, sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"You think there's a leak? Someone's telling Order secrets to Voldemort?"

"Oh come on, has that never occurred to you? That someone stupid and gullible from our side would think that they would benefit from letting the cat out of the bag for the whole Dark Side? We've been trying to figure it out for weeks before something like this would happen." He rose, pacing around the living room as Remus tried keeping up. Looking at Sirius, his lover could see that he would strangle any man who confronted him with anything in the near future. On his next pass, he froze.

"Harry," Sirius grabbed Remus' shoulders again and hauled him nearly to his feet. "What about Harry. Wasn't he there? Did you find him?"

"No. He wasn't in his cot. But he's alive. They would have just left him there if they killed him but there was no trace of him." With a growl, Sirius ran his hands roughly through his hair once more before grabbing Remus by the shoulders.

"Was it you? So help me God, Remus if you're the leak—" Remus shoved the other man away from him roughly.

"ME?! You think that I would leak that to him?! You think I'm the reason they're dead?!"

"Well you have the most to gain from allying yourself with—"

Knock, knock, knock.

Both men turned to the door of their flat. They straightened in a flash and pulled their wands. Sirius moved behind the door as Remus took his position behind an armchair. They nodded to each other and Sirius swung the door open.

It was Frank Longbottom.

"What is your favorite candy?" Sirius asked, pointing his wand directly in the auror's face.

"Smarties though you can never find those in Honeyduke's. Damn Muggle candy."

"Where did I have to go on the 13th of this month?" Remus asked quietly. Both Sirius and Remus watched closely for Frank's answer.

"You were quarantined in the Shrieking Shack like you have been all through Hogwarts. Do I need to detail the reasons or are you sufficiently assuaged?" the two men lowered their wands and Frank stepped over the threshold.

"To what do we owe the visit, Frank?" Remus asked tiredly, tucking his wand back into his pocket.

"Unfortunately it's not a social call, I'm afraid. Something's happened." Remus nodded, sitting heavily in a chair.

"James and Lily are dead." Frank looked at Remus then to Sirius.

"How did you know?"

"I went to visit them this evening. The mark was in the sky, their house was in ruins," Remus met the other man's eyes. "Harry wasn't there. Is he…?" Frank shook his head.

"Hagrid had taken him out of the house. He's fine. A scratch on his head, but he's fine. Sounds like you were there seconds after he left." Sirius and Remus breathed sighs of relief.

"He's alright. Thank Godric, he's alright." Remus pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes as he nearly wept in relief. Sirius took half a step toward him but stopped himself, remembering what he'd just accused Remus of.

"Who told him?" Frank put his hands in his pocket, looking directly at Sirius.

"Sirius, I know what you want to do. I want to as well. But we don't really know—"

"Bullshit!" Sirius slammed his hand into the back of the chair. "You know whose fault this was. If not for certain, you at least have an idea."

"Sirius I don't want you to do anything rash—"

"Fuck me being rash! My best friend and his wife are dead. Their son is an orphan at one year old. I want to get the bastard who took his family away." Frank opened his mouth to argue again.

"Just tell him, Frank," Remus said softly, looking at the floor. Honey gold eyes met the hazel of his friend. "Just tell him who the Order thinks it was. He'll find out sooner or later anyway." For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. No one even made a sound. Frank looked from one man to the other, analyzing whether they would be ready for this or not. With a sigh, he lowered his head and spoke.

"We think it was Peter."

I need to figure out different ways to end these chapters. Dialogue is just so cliff hangy. :) Let me know what you think! And don't forget to check out my Facebook page WillowDream203.

XX Willow